My Brother's Best Friend (prequel to Neighbor)

Chapter nine.

lots of foreshadowing to Neighbor in this chapter (((:

LEO'S POV

"Oh my, I can't believe you're going to college!"

I let out a deep sigh. Today was the day. Time to go to college. I needed to get away from this city for awhile, though. It would do me some good.

"Mom, I'm only a few hours away," I told her as I looked at the huge building in front of me. "I'll come visit sometimes, don't worry."

She looked at me with tears running down her face. Why do mothers always get emotional over everything? It didn't make sense to me.

"You're not my baby anymore," she sobbed as she wrapped her arms around me. "What am I going to do in an empty house? You won't be there to entertain me anymore."

"You'll be fine, mom. Don't worry. I'm just going to college, it's not like I'm going to leave and not come back."

A few more minutes passed, and it was time to bid our goodbyes. I was sad to leave my mother, but happy to go off into the world on my own and grow up.

Before I knew it, my mother was gone and I was left all alone. My roommate would be arriving within an hour or so.

I pulled a cigarette out of my back pocket. I've been craving it ever since this morning when my mother pushed me into the car to come here.

As I was unpacking, my door opened. I turned to see a boy about the same age as me walk in. He had brown hair and he was quite tall. Must be my roommate. His family—well what I assumed to be his family—followed in behind him.

Once he saw me, he smiled.

"Are you Leonardo? I'm Christian, but call me Chris," he said as he walked over to me and put his hand out for me to shake.

I grabbed his hand, "Hi, call me Leo."

We talked for a few minutes before him and his family bid their goodbyes. I learned that they were from New Hampshire and that he had two brothers and one sister.

"This year is gonna be great, I can already tell," Chris said as he took a seat on his bed.

"It better be."

As I was putting my CDs away, I heard the sound of a bag. I looked over to see Chris pulling a little tiny bag out of his pocket. Inside it was something green. Weed.

When he saw me looking at him, I turned away. He let out a laugh.

"What? You don't like pot heads?" He joked.

"No," I replied. "How could I hate myself?"

When he understood what I said, he smiled.

"This sure is going to be a great year," he said again. "Here, want a joint?"

I gladly accepted as I grabbed the small joint from his hand. This is what I needed.

My mind drifted to Lauren. She was probably in school at this moment. I wonder if she still thought about what happened that night. If she could remember.

You need to forget about her.

If only I tried hard enough to forget.

-----

three years later

I played with my straw as I sat at the crowded bar. Chris was next to me talking to some girl. I just wanted to get drunk tonight. Maybe find a girl. I wasn't in college anymore, so it's not like I had to worry about classes for the next few days.

"You okay bro?" Chris asked as the girl next to him walked away.

"Yeah, just wanna get drunk," I replied.

He let out a deep laugh. "You aren't going to get drunk if you don't drink anything. Here, I'll get us some shots."

As he asked the bartender for shots, I looked around the club. The music was blasting and there were people everywhere. Groups of girls, groups of guys, and people drunk out of their minds.

I looked over to a group of girls. They seemed to be about early twenties or so. Some of them even looked like they were just out of high school.

One girl moved over, letting the face of another girl become visible. My heart dropped as I saw those blue eyes that I missed so much.

Lauren.

She looked so...beautiful and mature. Her hair was longer, she had more curves, and she was even more beautiful than the last time I saw her.

What was she doing here? She was only eighteen.

My thoughts were cut short as I saw her and her friend's head towards the exit. They just be leaving.

I needed to see where she where she was staying. She was probably a freshman in college by now.

"I need to go do a line or something. I'm gonna go back to my apartment," I told Chris. I didn't give him time to answer as I shot out of my seat and followed after the girl that I loved more than anything.